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It's fair to say that the two sides that will line-up at Old Trafford on Sunday are not of typical vintage.
Manchester United and Liverpool are not as strong as they've been in the past.
Louis van Gaal's team appear to have turned a corner, with five wins in a row, but this is not a United team that can compete with the dominant teams of the past.
Liverpool are in an even worse state, having crashed out of the Champions League group stages in midweek after only managing a draw at home to Basel. That result followed a 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland last week, a result that left Brendan Rodgers' team ninth in the Premier League, already 15 points off leaders Chelsea.
Injuries haven't helped either team, with star men Angel Di Maria and Daniel Sturridge among the many casualties, but for teams that were, until recently, able to field the likes of Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo in this fixture, it is quite a fall from grace.
If you were to ask Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini how many players they would take for their Chelsea and Manchester City first teams, a case could only be made for a handful.
It's not quite the Dog and Duck v The Red Lion, but it's not far away.
Presuming the teams line-up as below:
Manchester United (3-5-2): De Gea; McNair, Evans, Rojo; Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Young; Rooney, Van Persie.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Toure, Moreno; Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson; Sterling, Lallana, Lambert.
Scroll through our gallery to see our combined XI...
Show all 11 1 /11Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI David De Gea (Man United 1 Liverpool 0) Has arguably been United's best player this season, with a number of impressive performances and great saves that have earned his side crucial points. Simon Mignolet, on the other hand, looks like he could be replaced in January, with Liverpool linked to numerous goalkeepers.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Antonio Valencia (Man United 2 Liverpool 0) A problem position with the two sides playing very different formations, Valencia gets in ahead of Glen Johnson because he is a bigger attacking threat - both are terrible defenders.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Kolo Toure (Man United 2 Liverpool 1) Kolo Toure's presence in this team shows just how far these two sides have fallen, as well as the defensive injury crisis currently engulfing United. His opposite number Paddy McNair has potential but was so bad against Southampton he was replaced after 37 minutes, with Michael Carrick dropping into defence.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Martin Skrtel (Man United 2 Liverpool 2) Again, Skrtel has been far from impressive this season, though he is the best of a bad bunch. Jonny Evans is arguably his equal but will be starting his first match since September; the Slovakian just shades it.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Marcos Rojo (Man United 3 Liverpool 2) Rojo not enjoyed the greatest of starts at Old Trafford but Albert Moreno, though impressive at times, has also struggled and lapses in concentration have cost Liverpool goals.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Michael Carrick (Man United 4 Liverpool 2) Carrick has returned to the United first-team and is as good as ever, providing a calming presence in the middle of midfield. Lucas is a decent player but not close to what he was a couple of seasons ago, before his injury.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Steven Gerrard (Man United 4 Liverpool 3) Gerrard has endured a poor season and is lucky to be in this team - the man opposite him is Marouane Fellaini, one of the worst signings of the last couple of years. Gerrard's sparkling form from a year ago has deserted him and he's badly in need of a rest - despite his wonderful free-kick against Basel. Liverpool are so bad without him Brendan Rodgers can't afford him one.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Juan Mata (Man United 5 Liverpool 3) Choosing between Mata and Jordan Henderson is probably the toughest decision to make in this team. It is a matter of opinion and tactical preference whether you go for the crafty, attacking talents of the Spaniard or the high-energy Englishman. Henderson, like Gerrard, has not been as good as last year and Mata just shades it on current form.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Raheem Sterling (Man United 5 Liverpool 4) Another Liverpool player who has failed to hit the heights of last season. However, Sterling remains the side's most potent attacker with Daniel Sturridge out and Luis Suarez departed. Ashley Young has done a good job at wing-back for Louis van Gaal, but Sterling is a potential match-winner.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Wayne Rooney (Man United 6 Liverpool 4) Captain of club and country, Rooney is probably the one player on either side who has exceeded the expectation placed on him coming into the season. Rooney is regularly United's best player, while Adam Lallana has struggled to live up to his £25m fee so far with just two goals and one assist in 11 matches.
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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Combined XI Robin van Persie (Man United 7 Liverpool 4) Robin van Persie has finally found some form with three in his last three for United. May not be the player he once of a couple of seasons ago but still a class above Rickie Lambert.
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Final score: Manchester United 7 Liverpool 4
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